Audit Report Reveals Financial Malpractices

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Only 55 out of 184 Houses of Chiefs and Traditional Councils submitted their annual financial statements for audit between 2001 and 2004 even though the financial administration regulation requires the houses of chiefs and traditional councils to submit their Financial Statements for external audit not later than 31st March following the end of the financial year.

These are contained in the report of the public accounts committee on the report of the Auditor General on the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, Traditional Houses of Chiefs and Traditional Councils for the period 2001 to 2004.

Presenting the Public Accounts Committee Report to the House, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah said, the cash books of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs revealed a cash balance of 56.6 Million Old Ghana Cedis as at 14th May 2004 but the amount could not be produced as requested by auditors. The audit according to the Public Accounts Committee also identified that, 19.7 Million Old Ghana Cedis was used for the purchase of a computer for the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs.

However, audit examination revealed that, the computer in question was a donation from the Institute of African studies of the University of Ghana to support the operations of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs. The audit report also identified fraudulent payments amounting to 79.3 million old Ghana Cedis within the audit period.

The Public Accounts Committee therefore called on the Ministry of Chieftaincy to take immediate steps to recover the outstanding amount of 79.3 Million Old Ghana Cedis.

Source: pfm